Monarchy Monday: Life at Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, the home of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, administrative headquarters and centre of excitement. Easily one of the most recognized landmarks in the United Kingdom, life at Buckingham Palace never has a dull moment.

Named after the Duke of Buckingham who owned the property up until his death in 1721, it was King George III who bought Buckingham House in 1762 for 21,000 pounds as a retreat for his wife, Queen Charlotte.

King George IV undertook the transformation to bring Buckingham House to it’s current size and stature by hiring architect John Nash to bring to life his vision. Unfortunately King George IV passed away in 1830 before he was able to see the outcome.

Since 1837, when Queen Victoria chose to rule from the palace, Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain’s sovereigns.

If you have been lucky enough to receive an invite, any gift you bestow upon Queen Elizabeth will find a home within the wall of a royal residence. With the exception of live animals, who would likely be taken into care by the London Zoo.

Yet even those without an invitation sometimes find a way into the palace. An American painted in green and wearing nothing else once para-glided onto Buckingham Palace’s roof, granting him a life ban on entering the U.K. While he never reached the Queen, a man by the name of Michael Fagan made it all the way into Queen Elizabeth’s bedroom. He even held a conversation with Her Majesty for many minutes before security was notified. Fagan’s mother spoke as to why she thought he did what he did:

“He thinks so much of the Queen. I can only imagine him just wanting to simply talk and say hello and discuss his problems.”

Fagan spent six months under psychiatric evaluation after the incident.

So while six months in a psychiatric ward is a hefty price to pay to spend for a few minutes of one on one time with The Queen, it is starting to sound more and more tempting. If only my better sense wasn’t getting the best of me!